WINNIPEG —
Jeremey Leipsic's goal 31 seconds into the second period gave the Manitoba Bisons men's hockey team a lead they never gave up in their season-opener Saturday night.
On top of his opening goal, Leipsic added an assist during the Bisons 2-0 win against the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns in front of 298 fans at the updated Wayne Fleming Arena.
"For us to get that first one I thought it swayed momentum in our way," said Leipsic. "My linemates made it pretty easy there too, they were hard on the forecheck."
Leipsic was able to slide in the rebound of a
Sean Christensen slap shot from the point, the first of two goals generated by the line of
Keaton Jameson,
Jonah Wasylak, and Leipsic.
In a stellar effort, Bisons goalie
Riley Lamb turned away all 26 shots from the Pronghorns.
"He looked solid and composed in the net, and he played the puck well," said Bisons head coach
Mike Sirant.
The Bisons outshot the Pronghorns 16-6 in the first period, but some timely saves by both goalies kept things scoreless after 20.
"I thought three of those six were high-quality," said Lamb. "You just hope to save them when you're in that position and the team will battle off that."
Leipsic opened the scoring early in the second, which elevated the game's pace with each team trading scoring chances shortly after.
Despite the increase in chances, the score remained 1-0 after 40 minutes of play.
The Bisons came out just as strong in third period, scoring another goal in the opening minute, this time increasing their lead to two.
After fanning on a shot at the top of the slot, Bisons defenceman Michell Dyck re-collected the puck and wired a wrist shot over Taz Burman's blocker. Leipsic and Jameson earned assists on Dyck's tally.
The Pronghorns responded with some late offensive pressure but couldn't solve Lamb.
Lamb earned the first star of the night honours while Leipsic and Jameson, who each had two points, were the second and third stars.
The Bisons will look to earn another victory over the Pronghorns when the teams close out their weekend series at Wayne Fleming Arena tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.
